The national victims’ code

The national Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (the “Victims’ Code”) is a statutory government document which sets out the information, support and services that victims of crime are entitled to receive from criminal justice agencies in England and Wales. These criminal justice agencies include the police and Crown Prosecution Service.

The Code covers the support victims should expect at every stage of the process from reporting a crime to post-trial support. This includes an entitlement to make a Victim Personal Statement (VPS) explaining how the crime has affected you emotionally, financially or in any other way, and an entitlement to be kept informed about the progress of a court trial.

The new Code sets out enhanced support for victims of the most serious crime, persistently targeted and vulnerable or intimidated victims. It also includes a section dedicated to the needs of children and young people, their parents and guardians.

Businesses that are victims are also covered by the Victims’ Code, which sets out the specific entitlements they have if they are a victims of crime.

A local code – the Greater Manchester Victims’ Charter

Although welcoming the new code, which entitles all victims the opportunity to speak in court and personally address offenders to explain how the crime has impacted on them, Tony has expressed concerns about the complexity and length of the document and is developing a local code – the Greater Manchester Victims’ Charter.